Scarves
by classynotclassic
Summary: Arthur asks Ariadne a question. "Why do you wear scarves all the time?" Post-movie. Fluff & Lemon. AxA, mentions of CobbxMal.


It was another windy day in the vast and beautiful city of Paris. Ariadne walked through the crowded Parisian streets like most days, searching for inspiration. Ever since the Inception job a month ago, she was running out of ideas. Nothing she drew now could even compare to the labyrinths inside of cities and buildings she created.

Ariadne sighed as the wind continued to blow, grateful for her old red jacket. The streets were filled with people trying to navigate through the metropolitan area of the city. She didn't know exactly where she was going; she just went where it felt right.

She turned the corner, trying to avoid the crowd and felt a sharp pain on her shoulder. Somebody had just bumped into her. Ariadne turned quickly to see a man, talking on his cell phone. Even though he wasn't looking, she sent him a dirty glare. As she continued walking, she reached out into her pocket and took out a chess piece: her totem. It was a habit now, just to make sure she wasn't going to be attacked by projections.

Ariadne stopped when the sidewalk wasn't as crowded and knocked over the chess piece in her hand: it wasn't a dream. She exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding and continued on her way, slipping the chess piece in her pocket.

She began to wonder about the fate of the others. Being an American, sometimes Ariadne felt out of place in the foreign city. It felt nice to belong somewhere, to feel needed. Professor Miles told her that Cobb had happily reunited with his kids, but that was the end of it. Ariadne hadn't had a chance to talk to Cobb about how he got out of limbo or if it had affected him. She really hadn't had a chance to talk to anybody on the team. Professor Miles didn't know anything about Arthur, Eames or Yusuf, which worried her, though she knew they were probably doing fine in some obscure corner in the world.

As Ariadne drifted away from her thoughts, she recognized the area of town she was in. She was about five blocks away from the warehouse where the team met. Ariadne had never gone back there since their last meeting before doing the job. She didn't even know why she headed there; it was probably empty except for the memories she experienced there. Curiosity got the best of her and she decided to head over there anyway. It was still the middle of the afternoon and she could probably get home by nightfall.

Ariadne continued down the blocks towards the warehouse as the gusts of wind continued to get stronger. Her long brown waves of hair blew violently in the direction of the gust. She stopped and closed her eyes, worried that the wind carried dust particles and she could irritate her eyes.

Suddenly, her neck felt cold and she realized her scarf blew away. As the wind calmed, Ariadne opened her eyes and saw her gray scarf riding on a gentle breeze and she ran after it.

She focused on her favorite scarf as it began to lower, but she was still not close enough. Ariadne tried to run faster, fearful another gust of wind might take it away if she did not hurry. Then she saw a hand reach out and grab the scarf.

Ariadne stopped in her tracks, looking at the man a few feet in front of her. He was tall, lean and handsome, dressed in a light gray suit. Ariadne smiled instantly when she recognized him and she began to walk towards him.

"I think this belongs to you," he said with a small smirk on his handsome face, as he handed her the scarf.

"Thank you, Arthur," she said with a smile as she took it and tied it around her neck. After a pause, she added, "What are you doing back in Paris?"

"Just taking care of business." Arthur was not surprised by her question. She was always asking questions because she wanted to not just learn, but to understand.

"Oh," Ariadne responded, not sure what else to say, though just minutes ago, she could think of hundreds. She hadn't really talked to him since they rode the kick up the levels and escaped.

"Where were you headed?" Arthur asked her when he realized she wasn't going to say anything else. "I didn't think this was your part of town, unless you were headed towards the warehouse."

"I got curious," she replied honestly with a sheepish smile and a shrug of her shoulders.

Arthur smiled at the young woman and then glanced at his gold watch. "Well, you saved me the trouble of looking for you."

"You were looking for me?" Ariadne asked as she felt her heart beginning to pound in her chest. She wondered if he could hear it.

He couldn't hear it, but Arthur did notice the small blush on her round face. "Cobb had wanted me to check up on you, to see if the job affected you. You weren't originally supposed to go," he reminded her.

"Yeah. Well I've been managing pretty well, I guess," Ariadne began. After a hesitant pause, she added, "I just can't seem to find any new ideas."

"Ideas? Like for buildings?" Arthur asked curiously.

Ariadne nodded. "I... can't design," she admitted out loud for the first time.

Arthur's brows furrowed together as he thought about Ariadne's dilemma. "Can you think of any reasons why?"

"I want to be the best I can be. I want to go forward, not back. But everything I come up with now can never compare to what I created in those dreams... Reality's not enough."

Arthur nodded, understanding. "Cobb mentioned that the first day we met you, about reality not being enough for you anymore. That's how he knew you'd be back." He glanced at his watch again.

Ariadne noticed. "I'm sorry, am I keeping you from somewhere you need to be?"

"I ordered some food at a bistro a few blocks down and was headed over to pick it up," Arthur explained. Ever the gentlemen, he asked, "Do you want to join me?"

"Sure," Ariadne replied with a smile and they headed towards the bistro. After a minute of silence, Ariadne said, "Maybe it wasn't just Mal."

Arthur glanced at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"For the longest time, I suspected that Cobb couldn't build because he was afraid that Mal would show up and jeopardize the mission. But maybe it wasn't just that. Maybe he felt like I'm feeling now," she explained.

"And how are you feeling now?"

"Lost," she admitted.

"I see. Say, Ariadne, do you think it would help to dream, just one last time?"

"How would that help? Won't that just confuse me more?"

"Maybe, but maybe you could find that bit of inspiration you need," reasoned Arthur.

"Yeah, I guess that could work," agreed Ariadne.

They arrived at the small bistro and Ariadne waited outside in the cafe area while Arthur went to get his food, and buy her something as well. She sat on the plastic yellow chair and took out her totem. Ariadne stood it on the table and knocked it over. She signed in relief; she wasn't dreaming. She put it away as she saw Arthur come through the double glass doors with two plastic bags in his hand.

"I hope you don't mind. I got you the same thing as I did," said Arthur as Ariadne stood.

"No, it's fine," reassured Ariadne as she walked towards Arthur. "Thank you."

Arthur replied with a nod of his head as they walked in silence towards the warehouse. The silence was becoming all too loud for Ariadne, so she asked, "Have you talked to anybody since the job?"

"Just Eames."

Ariadne smiled as she remembered the Forger. "How is he?"

"Still getting himself into trouble, but he's all right. He told me Yusef is still being his eccentric self," he added.

"That's good to know," Ariadne said, her mind at ease. "What have you been up to?"

"Like I said, taking care of business," he repeated.

Ariadne frowned. "You know, for a Point Man, you aren't too specific when it comes to you," she teased.

Arthur shrugged. "I keep to myself."

"So I've noticed."

Arthur smiled and they arrived at the warehouse. Ariadne held the bags as Arthur opened up the rusty door for them and motioned for Ariadne to enter. It hadn't changed a bit. Lawn chairs and tables cluttered with tools were still scattered around the vast warehouse. Ariadne felt the nostalgia creeping up on her as she smiled to herself.

"Ariadne," called Arthur. She immediately turned around to find that Arthur had cleaned off an table. "You can put everything here."

Ariadne walked towards the table as Arthur dragged two plastic chairs and put one across where she was and then walked back towards her with the other one. She moved out of the way and he placed to where she still had room to sit down. Arthur motioned with his hand for her to sit down. She replied with a smile and sat down on the chair. And of course, he pushed her closer to the table. Typical Arthur.

xoxo

Arthur pulled the tube connected to the dream-sharing device closer to Ariadne. He sat down at the end of her chair and turned her hand upward. As Arthur looked for a vein, Ariadne said, "You're not fooling me with that gentlemen act."

Arthur's hands stopped as he looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

"You act like a gentleman, but you're really just a womanizer," stated Ariadne simply.

Arthur let out a short laugh. "I never said I was a gentleman. I just act the way I raised to be. And what on earth makes you say I'm a womanizer?"

"You happened to steal a kiss from a trusting young girl," Ariadne said quietly, alluding to herself.

Arthur smirked. "I don't recall that girl even hesitating. So I wouldn't even call it stealing."

"Manipulating then," Ariadne said and Arthur let out another short laugh.

"So you want me stop acting like a gentleman?"

"Yes. Just be yourself."

"Fine. But then let me ask you question, if you don't mind," he said with a mischievous smirk.

"Okay," agreed Ariadne, though hesitant.

"Why do you wear scarves all the time? Or you always seem to cover up your chest, at the least. It's a shame, really. You do have a nice bust."

Ariadne turned bright red, surprised at his question and his comment. But it was what she asked for. Ariadne sighed as she removed her red jacket and began unbuttoning the top half of her black blouse. Then she reached to the back of her neck and untied the scarf. Arthur leaned in closer and saw a thin, six-inch scar down her sternum.

"When I was baby, I was born with a heart defect. It was minor though, and could be easily remedied through surgery," explained Ariadne. Then she absentmindedly traced the scar with her finger. "But I got this as a result. I didn't really care about it because it's a part of who I am." She paused and closed her eyes, brows furrowed. "That is, until I started school, and some kids started teasing me about it. Kids can be cruel." She opened her eyes and looked into his dark brown eyes. "Then I got really self-conscious about it and I started wearing scarves."

"Ariadne, I'm sorry. I had no idea. I didn't mean to be so crude," apologized Arthur, appalled by his behavior.

Ariadne shook her head. "No, don't worry about it. I asked for it." Then she gave him a shy smile and said, "Thanks for the compliment though."

Arthur returned the smile with a smirk. "You're welcome." They stared at each other, the PASIV device forgotten.

Ariadne leaned in closer and whispered, "Quick, give me a kiss." Arthur gladly kissed her softly, as he pushed her down against the lawn chair. Ariadne wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back passionately, pushing her body against his. He let out a low growl and Ariadne smiled through the kiss, glad to realize his feelings were mutual. She felt his hands on her hips, gently stroking her. His touch was driving her crazy and she pushed up her body against his once more. She could feel his arousal growing and that surprised her. Her body weight collided harshly with the lawn chair and they lost their balance, landing on the floor.

Ariadne landed on top of Arthur. They stared at each other for a moment before Ariadne let out a nervous giggle and Arthur a smile. Ariadne got up from Arthur and waited as he stood as well. Arthur took her hand and led her to his room. Though he preferred five-star hotels, he was not a fan of traffic so he stayed in the warehouse at times.

As they neared the end of the bed, Arthur pressed his lips to hers once more and began to finish unbuttoning her shirt. He broke the kiss and Ariadne protested until Arthur began to kiss her neck gently, slipping her blouse off her body, revealing her plain black bra. He pushed her gently onto the bed and removed his overcoat and she began to unbutton her jeans. He threw his coat onto a nearby chair and his tie on the floor and helped Ariadne with her jeans. He straddled her, careful not to put too much weight on her small frame and began leaving a trail of butterfly kisses up her stomach and onto her chest. Arthur paused at her scar and he felt Ariadne take in a sharp breath. He then continued to kiss her chest, paying extra attention to her scar. When he felt her relax again, his lips moved back up to hers and they resumed kissing.

Ariadne's hands moved up his chest and began to unbutton his shirt. It wasn't fair that she was in her underwear and he hadn't shown any skin yet. She fumbled clumsily with the buttons, but she managed to get the job done and in no time, his shirt joined hers on the floor. She broke the kiss and marveled at his chest. He was built, but lean and it suited him beautifully. Her hands trailed down his chest and she began to unbuckle his belt, gaining confidence. She unbuckled his belt and yanked it off in one swift motion before discarding it on the floor. As her hands reached the button of his pants, he removed her hands.

He leaned forward and kissed her jawline. "What's the rush, Ariadne?" Arthur whispered. Then he said seductively in her ear, "We have all night." Ariadne let out a shuddered breath. The way he said it gave her chill, a good chill. Meanwhile, Arthur continued his kisses down her neck and onto her shoulder. He removed the straps of her bra on both sides and kissed his way down her chest. He ran his hands up her sides and her arched her back, giving him permission to unhook her bra. Arthur removed her bra and tossed it aside, his eyes never leaving hers. Ariadne's brown eyes, although glazed with lust, seemed self-conscious. He kissed her once again as he began to grope her breasts with his large, strong hands.

Ariadne moaned into his mouth as he continued to massage her breasts, running his thumbs across her rosy pink nipples. She could only cup his face in her hands until he stopped and moved his hands back up to her face, caressing her smooth skin. When they broke the kiss, Arthur smiled softly at her and she at him, before her hands reached to unbutton his pants. This time, he allowed her to, but he stood up to remove them, revealing his gray boxers. He folded his pants neatly and placed them on a chair.

Ariadne laughed and Arthur went back to bed, lying down next to her. "What?" he asked.

"All our other clothes are on the floor, but you just had to fold your pants neatly," she giggled. "It's so you."

Arthur chuckled as he put a hand on her side, "Dry cleaning isn't cheap, you know?"

Ariadne smiled, and with that, Arthur began to kiss her body again. He started at her stomach, admiring the softness of her skin. Arthur's hands went on her hips and he gripped the fabric of her panties, pulling them slowly as he continued his descent. She held onto his hair, trying to run her fingers through his gelled hair and failing. Instead, Ariadne gripped the sheets while he kissed her most private parts after he successfully removed her panties.

"Oh, Arthur," Ariadne moaned. She had never felt the way she was feeling now. All of her past sexual encounters had been straight to the point. No man had ever lavished her body as Arthur was doing.

Arthur looked up at her blushing, lustful face and asked with a smirk, "Yes?"

"Don't stop," she breathed and he complied, sucking her clit. Ariadne continued with her wordless moans while Arthur inserted one finger inside of core. She cried out his name once more, but this time he didn't respond with a witty remark, instead continuing to move his finger in and out of her.

When he added another finger, Ariadne called out, "Don't tease me so much." This time, Arthur looked up and removed his fingers.

"You should make up your mind, Ariadne," said Arthur. "It's almost as if you don't know what you want."

Ariadne sat up and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I want you," she said, before she kissed Arthur once again, pushing him down onto the bed. Her hands moved up his neck and cupped his face. Ariadne felt his hardness grow and she grinded her hips against his. He growled at her once again, but she continued her assault anyway.

He growled once more before flipping her around once again. He broke the kiss. "If you keep doing that, you're going to make me lose control," he warned, his voice rough.

Ariadne smiled at him seductively, looking up at him through her lashes. "I can't imagine you losing control. I like the idea of it," she said softly, rolling her hips.

"Just you wait," Arthur smirked at her.

"I'm tired of waiting." Ariadne's hands moved to his boxers and she began to pull them down. "I want you now."

Arthur chuckled. "You're so impatient." He allowed her to remove his boxers and they joined the rest of their clothes on the floor. Ariadne stared at his erection, amazed. "It's rude to stare," he told her teasingly.

"You should think of it as a compliment," Ariadne replied as wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Arthur pushed her down once again. He enjoyed the kiss for while before he decided it was time.

Arthur pushed his hips against hers slowly, warning her. When she responded with a roll of her hips, he spread out her legs and thrusted inside of her.

Ariadne gasped, breaking the kiss. Ariadne felt as if she were a virgin again with Arthur. She had never felt so complete. Arthur was looking at her, seeking for her permission to continue. She nodded her head and he continued to thrust into her. Ariadne met his thrusts with ones of her own.

Ariadne moaned his name as he nipped at her neck. The way she moaned his name was such a turn-on for him. He thrust into her faster, making it hard for Ariadne to keep up with his pace. The friction he was creating between their bodies was incredibly pleasurable. She ran her fingernails across his back. She knew they would leave a mark, but she was so in the moment, she didn't care.

Arthur's thrusts grew in force and he continued to pound into her small body. Ariadne moaned with each thrust, with the pleasure building up inside her. "Arthur," she began, her voice drifting.

"I know," was his gruff reply. "Hold on a little bit longer."

"Okay," Ariadne breathed, trying to resist the urge to come as she stared at Arthur. Sweat was dripping off his temples, with his hands on either side of his body, supporting him as he continued to fuck her.

"Arthur," she cried out again in warning. She was so close now, she could almost see the familiar blinding white light that accompanied orgasms.

"It's okay, Ariadne," he told her, slowing down his pace a bit. "Let go."

And she did. She reached her orgasm. Instead of blinding white lights, she saw fireworks of multiple colors burst in front of her eyes as her body convulsed. Her convulsions caused him to release his seed into her body, making him to stop and enjoy their shared orgasm.

Ariadne practically panted as she struggled to catch her breath. That was her most intense orgasm ever. She glanced up to look at Arthur, who was trying to compose himself as well. When he noticed Ariadne starting at him, he gave her a soft smile and rolled off of her, sliding out of her in the process. Ariadne ached at the loss of him, but was glad when he didn't leave her side. He plopped down beside her and she snuggled against his chest. He grabbed the blanket that was hanging off the bed and covered them both.

They remained in silence for a while, until Ariadne spoke up. "Mal used to ask me a question, in the dreams."

Arthur looked down at her. "And what question was that?"

Ariadne looked into his eyes. "'Do you know what it is to be a lover?'"

When she paused, Arthur finished, "'To be half of a whole?"" Ariadne nodded, puzzled that he knew the question. "Mal used to ask me that, when she felt like I would sometimes become the third wheel," he explained.

"And do you know what it is to be a lover?" asked Ariadne, a part of her hopefully.

"I do now," he said simply before he kissed her softly. Ariadne felt her heart soar as she kissed him. She felt complete again, having finally found her other half. They parted and smiled at each other before cuddling.

"Now you have another reason to wear scarves," Arthur said, kissing her neck gently.

Ariadne laughed. "Oh, Arthur."


End file.
